VS2 Episode 15 Turning Point
by MLVS Team
Summary: Episode fifteen of Moonlight Virtual Season 2. Episode by Candomom with the collaboration of the group.
1. Chapter 1

**Moonlight – Virtual Season 2  
Episode 15 - Turning Point  
**Rating: R/T

**Writer: Candomom (with the collaboration of the group)**

Beta'd: Writers Group

**VS2 Writers Group includes Candomom, ClChen, Conni4, Evilous, Misfit, Mx wwmickd, Night Owl, Phantom Phoenix, Photosue and Sunny.**

Disclaimer: Moonlight and its characters are owned by CBS and Warner Brothers. All use of Moonlight and its characters in this venue are for entertainment purposes and completed solely for the pleasure of Moonlight lovers. The original storylines and episodes have been created by the VS2 Writers and Discussion Group. We hope you enjoy.

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Over the past few days Mick has tried to physically pull himself together. The mind… well, it was lagging behind a bit. His thoughts would circle back to Beth and what being with him had pulled her into. He was still at Josef's for now……

Trying to quiet the voices in his head he made use of Josef's state of the art gym. He was putting himself through the paces. Exhausted, he heads for the shower.

He lets the cold water flow over him. His mind drifts back to Beth. _Is she ok? Does she still feeling guilty? Does she blame him for all this? _He hates not being with her... to hold her... to comfort her. Turning the water off he steps out dries off and heads for the freezer.

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By twilight Mick is dressed and heading for the door. Josef steps in front of him. "So where are you headed tonight?" Mick rolls his eyes.

"Out... dad," he snarks. "Ah... well, yes, I can see that. And I'm not your _dad_," Josef takes a sip of his drink.

"What is it that you want Josef? I have things to do tonight." Mick steps around him but Josef grabs his arm stopping him.

"Mick we are fighting the same war," he offers. Mick looks Josef in the eye, "Really... because sometimes I can't tell." With that he shrugged out of Josef's grasp and was out the door.

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Oscar was glad to have Beth as more than a shell of a person, but since speaking on the phone with Mick almost a week ago, she had been a waterfall of emotions. She had continued to cry and sulk for a few hours, even hearing Mick tell her it wasn't her fault, she was still upset. At least now she was speaking, more like fighting with him, but she was doing better.

Beth leaned up against the wall of the alley waiting while Oscar had his dinner behind the dumpster, the drunk who had followed her out of the bar looking to get lucky. She clutched her forearm, she longed to see Mick again, to hold him and touch him. He had told her he loved her and it wasn't her fault but she was left with so much more confusion and not enough time to talk to him.

Oscar came out of the alley, his eyes returning to normal as he reached her side. "Are you hungry?"

Beth looked at him thinking about his question, she was hungry. "Yeah. I could use something."

Oscar nodded and led the way, she was being civil to him again. He was learning to be more considerate and mindful of her needs and moods. He thought back to when she had finally stopped crying and slept, when she woke she had so many questions, questions he couldn't answer for her.

_"So vampires use allure to get us humans to do what you want. Do you use it on me?" __Oscar shook his head, his life would be easier if he did. "No. It might make my life a bit easier, but I believe in everyone having a choice."__"Like I have a choice. I don't want to be here, I want to be home with Mick. I want my life back the way it was. Did I have a choice to come with you?" __"If you would have stayed in LA you would be dead." __"Maybe, but I still didn't choose to leave. Frankly, I haven't made a decision about my life since I got on that plane." __Oscar could tell she was getting angry, he had after all told her to use her anger to fight._ When he told her this he had not intended the recipient of her aggressions to be himself.

Beth ate her meal quietly trying to silence her mind from its millions of questions she had no answer for. She didn't think Mick had ever used allure on her, as Oscar had pointed out to her Mick wasn't the type to enjoy manipulating others, especially her. But still the thoughts came to mind, Mick had said his life was difficult, dangerous, and complicated; she understood now what that meant fully.

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After the Talbot inspired breakthrough with the device, Logan found himself busy in Mick's loft. Wires ran from the antenna on the roof down to the balcony, through the loft door (that now didn't shut all the way), and all the way into the office, where Logan had made a nest of electrical contraptions. He had increased the signal, rewired the ear piece to speakers, and was ready to record the conversations. The only problem was all he could pick up was white noise. Popping and hissing, clicking and grating... it was annoying enough to keep the volume down and just look at the sound spikes on the monitor. If actual voices ever hit the air, the computer would alert him...

"So, Mick, tell me again why I'm here. I mean bioelectromagnitism is cool and everything... but now what, Sputnik? The SETI project?"

Mick explained again, "They were using this to communicate on the roof tops... we couldn't hear them speak to each other."

"You've told me that... repeatedly... and all I'm getting is hissing and clicks. I feel like I'm eavesdropping on a conversation with beetles... bugs, not the band, next to the highway." Logan mumbled, "Turning on, tuning in and dropping out wouldn't make this noise interesting... cosmic... but not interesting.

"White noise?"

"White noise would be like listening to Mozart compared to this..."

"Let me hear it."

Logan winced and reached for the volume control. "You asked for it buddy..."

The knob was slowly turned to a volume level humans wouldn't be able to hear and as the electric impulses began to flow to the speakers both Vampires grabbed their ears in pain.

Mick listened for a few moments before his eyes widened and realization crossed his features.

"It's Morse Code!"

"No... It's torture!" Logan turned down the volume with vamp speed.

"Record it... and see if you can clean it up" Mick looked around at the mess his office had become. All it needed now was toys and posters on the walls and Logan would be officially moved in.

He watched as Logan maneuvered the computers and broke down the signal to more gentle sounds. The recording was done and Logan played it back. The clicking sound was now familiar. The hissing sounded more like a light grinding, almost like the rubbing of a tree branch on a window.

They listened to the recording over and over in silence.

"What are they saying?" Logan asked Mick.

"I'm a little rusty, but I think they said 'draft it out', whatever that means." Mick rubbed his chin. "What does it sound like to you?"

"Like... being underwater."

"Yeah... like tapping underwater, but how do they do that with this?" Mick held up the device.

Logan began to smile... "I've never seen a device with the microphone and speaker so close together. Let alone both in the earpiece, but it does explain the crazy background noise, they're clicking their teeth!"

Mick smiled and patted Logan on the back. "Lets record some more and find out what these bastards are up to."

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The trail of unwashed glasses Logan left, as well as assorted tools, wires, batteries and other material was irritating, but at least human. Mick thought his apartment felt occupied at least, and he could let the house keeping slide as long as he was working on tracking the legion. Sleep, running triangulation programs on the radio signals, mapping the locations, blood deliveries and hunting filled every moment. It had become easier to drink blood than inject it, it helped that Katherine was sympathetic… and fierce… she understood retaliation. She had taken it on herself to deliver him fresh blood and he was expecting her when he opened the door.

"Mick," Talbot walked in talking non-stop, "Warrants have been issued for Leo Holland, Carroll Jennings and other "people" of interest in the recent deaths of prostitutes and runaways." Mick started to object.

"I couldn't delay this any longer." Talbot's voice was harsh. "The police may not be able to find them, but at least I'm going through the motions."

"They can't know about…"

"I know, I kept your secret." Talbot was on edge, "Is there any reason why we can't arrest the killers."

"Aren't you afraid of the Legion, Ben?"

"If scary assassin types tell me to back off I will. Are Legion Ninja's killing runaways?"

"No, Ben, if I catch them…"

"I don't want to know what you do, Mick, but I want to do my job. I want some successful prosecutions."

"So you're saying to hell with us, to hell with the Legion. Whose side are you on, Ben, or have you decided you don't want to live?"

Ben Talbot had had enough and before he turned to leave he said, "I want to look at myself in the mirror, Mick, and respect myself."

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_Well that went well_, Ben Talbot thought as he rode the elevator down and almost bumped into Katherine Simmons as he stepped blindly out.

"Katherine, what are you doing here?

"Mick asked me to find out more about vampire cult at Hearst last year... I sat on the academic review board that dismissed Dr. Ellis after Kelly Foster's murder revealed he was having affairs with his students."

"How do you know Mick? _It sounds like I'm cross examining her._

Katherine smiled at him and continued calmly, "I met him doing some consulting work on Native American artifacts; he helps me with provenance and chain of ownership."

Ben stops himself before he can say something else that sounds rude and finds himself staring at Katherine, and she's looking back at him. "You were very kind to me after the kidnapping, I appreciated that."

"No problem, it's the job... ah... I was wondering… would you like to have a drink some time, someplace a little more respectable."

"Sure, I'd like that... Mick has my number, give me a call."

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	2. Chapter 2

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Carmen made her way through the morgue. She was meeting Mick here, he had begrudgingly agreed to have her help on the recon of some possible Legion buildings. He was still cautious around her since she kept her allegiances private. When she pushed through the double doors, Mick and Guillermo stopped talking and looked at her. Mick gave her a curt nod, but Guillermo smiled wolfishly, raking his eyes up and down her. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Guillermo, are you ever gonna stop hitting on me?"

Guillermo smiled, shaking his head as he pushed a body drawer closed. "Not likely, chica." Mick chuckled shaking his head. Guillermo left them to finish up his paper work for the night.

"You've heard from Beth?"

Mick looked at her questioningly. "Yeah… Oscar let her make a call late last week."

Carmen leaned against the wall of body drawers. "Is she holding up ok?"

Mick ran a hand through his hair. "This whole thing has been really hard on her... she has had to experience a very dark side of vamp life."

Carmen nodded. "I've known Oscar a long time. He will protect the innocent at all costs but he won't hide things just because they are not pretty… she's gonna get a real education on all aspects of vampires."

Mick couldn't hide the sadness and hurt that settled in his eyes. "She already has..."

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Carmen rode along with Mick and Guillermo for most of the night. The deliveries were uneventful, but she was getting a good idea of just how scared the tribe really was. They dropped Guillermo off back at the morgue and switched vehicles. They pulled back out into the night, this time in a 1999 Explorer.

Carmen watched as the night sped but her thoughts circled back to Oscar. _I feel for Mick. The wondering if Oscar is safe is killing me, and from the looks of Mick he is not fairing much better. Oscar will keep her safe… he kept me safe for as long as he could._

Stopping Mick kills the engine. "We're here." Carmen gets out following Mick around the back of the warehouse. They could hear talking inside. Carmen edged closer to the door that was opened slightly. Speaking in sub-human tones, "Five humans… 3 male… 2 female. They have three computer workstations. Sounds like they are communicating others at various locations. They're heavily armed." Mick made for the door, fully vamped and ready to kill. Carmen blocked him. "This is not what we are here for," she growled.

Silver eyes met silver eyes. "We can't get information if you kill them. You don't have to impress me Mick… ok… you've made a difference at the ground level"…Mick looks at her, respect was the last thing he had expected to here…Carmen continued, "Are you ready to die? I'm not. There's only two of us and they have the right ammunition."

Mick shrugged out of her grip and headed back to the Explorer. Carmen took one last look in the building and followed Mick. Mick sat behind the wheel seething as Carmen slid in the passenger seat. He started the engine and pulled away from the curb. "Is this why Josef wanted you to come out with me tonight," he spat.

"Have you even talked to Josef lately, Mick? If you had you would know that killing every legion member you see is not going to end this war," Carmen argued.

"Hmphf… Josef and I are not speaking much right now," he answered never taking his eyes from the road. "Well, if you were, you would know that Josef is using every resource he has and some he doesn't to end this culling. He's actually trying to float the idea the tribe policing its self."

Mick's head snapped in her direction. "We already do that. That's what the cleaners are for." She just shrugged. "Do you know what his plan is for this?"

Mick was a bit stunned, Josef was actually trying to stop this insanity.

"I don't know the specifics but this would be a bit more than the cleaners." she offered.

They checked out the remaining locations quickly and without incident. It was nearing dawn when they pulled back into the parking garage. Carmen and Mick walked to their cars, as Carmen got hers she turned to Mick. "He will bring her back to you."… _and come home to me, please, God._ Mick just nodded as he got into the Mercedes and drove away.

Carmen headed out as well but she had one more stop before she could head home.

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"Tell me again_ why_ we have to meet so close to dawn," Carmen snarked as she took the drink Josef offered her. Josef gave her his impish grin. "Because it gives us time to be alone….uninterrupted," he snarked back. Carmen just smiled at him over her glass. Josef leaned against his desk. "But seriously, how was Mick tonight?"

Carmen toyed with her drink. "He is still a bit reckless but he was able to rein it in. He is still very tight lipped around me. He did seem open to the idea of policing the tribe from within."

Josef knocked back his drink and walked around his desk. "Good. Good. Now about this device he has---," he began.

Carmen stood and held up a hand to silence him. "Josef, this is where I draw the line. If you want one of his toys you need two need to make nice and share, because right now," she turned to leave but stopped at the door, "you two are both act like a couple of five year olds."

Josef just watched as the door swung closed. _Why do I feel like I just got scolded by my mother? _

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Beth finished toweling off her newly dyed hair and took a moment to survey the hotel room. Everything from the eighties era décor to the threadbare towel she clutched in her hand screamed "Cash spoken here." Beth glanced at frayed embroidery at the bottom of the rag. Four Fs. The Four Fs Hotel. "What the hell does that stand for?" She wondered to herself. "It should be the Three Bs. "Booze, babes and blood."

From what Beth saw of the hotel lobby earlier that day, it was an appropriate description. The lobby sported the same shabbiness as the hotel room. Bulletproof glass enclosed the check-in desk. The few chairs scattered around the room were mainly upholstered in thighs and cleavage. Along with the obvious skin were the not so obvious cover ups Beth picked up on; an artfully tied scarf here, a wide cuff bracelet there. This was a place where money was money and body fluids were body fluids.

Still, it was better than sleeping in a car. Oscar had rented one of the "Executive" rooms; a room with a freezer. Oscar definitely needed some cold time and Beth didn't mind sleeping supine for a change, although she declined to sleep between the sheets.

Beth un-wrapped the black plastic comb she'd gotten from the hotel concierge. The vending machine in the lobby that dispensed various toiletries and an impressive array of condoms. For some minutes she tried dragging the narrow teeth through her hair before muttering "Cheap piece of crap!" and tossing the object on the bathroom counter.

"God, I need…" A low hum drew her attention to the freezer on the opposite side of the room. She could see the outline of Oscar's powerful body behind the frosted glass. Beth smiled. "Yes." She hissed. She padded over to the unit and stood for a moment. Oscar was due to get up soon, but Beth couldn't wait any longer. She needed this now. Slowly, she bent down, grasped the freezer lid and cracked it open a hair. The chilly mist curled around her knees. Beth shivered in anticipation and raised the lid fully.

Inside the freezer, Oscar's mind registered the faint creak of the opening lid. His frosty eyelids popped open to behold a delicate hand descending towards his nether regions. "Beth…Beth, what are you doing?"

"I've waited long enough, Oscar. I've got to have it." With that Beth reached down between Oscar's legs and retrieved her prize, a half empty carton of Rocky Road ice cream. She yanked off the lid in an almost desperate eagerness. There was a small plastic spoon jammed into the frozen goo. Carefully, Beth pried it out and began hacking away until she dislodged a large chunk and scooped it into her mouth. If the shock of Beth's intrusion wasn't enough to jolt Oscar fully awake, the orgasmic sighs and moans she was emitting now would certainly do the trick. Oscar bolted out of the freezer at vamp speed and snatched on his pants that had been lying by the side of the freezer.

"Beth! You could have at least knocked and let me get dressed." Beth didn't even look up as she chased a nutty chocolate chunk around the inside rim of her carton.

"Relax, Oscar. I'll tell you what. If you can show me something I haven't seen before…I'll give you a quarter." Apparently modesty had just become a casualty of the current situation. On principal, Oscar could care less, but the shift in Beth's attitude worried him somewhat. There was no hint of anger from Beth. If he had to put a name to the vibe it would be a growing indifference. This was not good. Indifference made people lose their edge and that was not conducive to staying alive. Oscar took a good look at Beth as she slowly paced back and forth. In between bites of ice cream she would absently hitched up her pants. She'd lost at least ten pounds in the last several weeks.

"You should have something else now, Beth. That is all you had in the morning." Beth just waved her spoon dismissively and continued chipping away at her Rocky Road.

"You know, Oscar" she said in between crunching bites "You've got to die of something. At least this tastes good. I am touched that you care so much about my dining habits lately. I remember when I was lucky to get time for a granola bar and a drive by piss out of you." This was great. Angry Beth he could handle. Crude and cynical Beth was something else. Oscar knew he needed to bring Beth out of this funk before it consumed her.

"We should both get something to eat. I'll arrange something downstairs for myself and then we can find something for you. Maybe we could go to that Italian place a couple blocks down." He said, hoping that sounded enticing enough to lift her mood a bit. Beth's replied with a small sigh. She stuck the spoon back in the container and popped the cover back on. Moving towards the freezer, she caught the dirty look Oscar was giving her. He was not looking forward sharing his bed with Beth's indulgence again.

"Look, Oscar." Beth huffed at him. "I had to pay that hooker twenty bucks for this. I'm not wasting a drop. Besides, I'm not about to fatten myself up for the slaughter on the cheap stuff." That was it. Oscar took two large strides to reach Beth and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. He put a gentle hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to meet his.

"Listen to me, Beth. No one is going to the slaughter. Do you understand me?" He continued to hold her gaze, wanting, needing her to have some faith again. Faith in herself. Faith in him. Finally he felt some the tension leave her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath.

"Ok." She finally said. Oscar took the carton of ice cream from Beth's hands. He walked over to the freezer, placed it inside and dropped the lid. He walked to the door and opened it, gesturing to Beth to exit first. Beth moved forward out into the hall and Oscar joined her, closing and closing and locking the door behind them.

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The hiss of the freeway filled the emptiness of downtown.

Ben Talbot looked out the open window of his sort of balcony, merely a fence in front of a six inch ledge. He finishing his third martini and would need to drink at least two more if he wanted to sleep.

Vampires added a new level of cynicism to his view of the world. It was one thing to agree to a plea bargain in one of the endless cases of DWI, possession with intent to sell, or assault and another thing to negotiate a vampire related homicide. The girl died not from blood loss but a bullet through the heart. That made the vampire what… a material witness to a homicide and a conspiracy to commit… genocide. As if hunting a tiger with a tethered stalking goat as bait was a crime against the goat and the tiger and the police wanted the tiger to testify against the hunter.

He gave Mick notice that the warrant against Leo was going forward and they ended up having words over it. Ben asserted that he didn't work for Mick or vampires. He had walked out angrily when it was suggested that he worked for the Legion.

That was actually ironic, neither Mick nor the Legion actually asked him to do anything except suppress the fact that it was vampire hunting season. Ben actually snorted a laugh as he thought of Elmer Fudd saying_ wery wery quiet, it's wampire season… Time for another drink._

_Why weren't vampires the enemy?_ Ben asked himself, as he fixed another martini. _I should really just sit the gin and jar of olives on the table as dinner. His father…_ Ben knew he loved his adoptive parents, the words Mom and Dad made him think of them, the people who raised him. Sitting across the prison table from his father, that was different, Ben could see himself in this man, Andrew.

He'd learned a lot about himself just talking to his father; a man capable of ironic detachment even in prison. Ben knew that he had restored his father's sense of family and more than that, sanity, _vampires were real.__"Benjamin"_

The balcony door was open, the city had quieted and the air was moving; a land/sea effect, downtown was too far inland for the weather to seem maritime. Talbot had fallen asleep in the chair again. It was easier to fall sleep this way and then stagger to his bed a hangover a small price to pay for a few hours of oblivion.

The silhouette of a petite woman was backlit by the city's ambient light. _I must be dreaming, I'm on the sixth floor… dreaming of vampires again._

"Benjamin." A real voice from a real woman… he sobered up quick.

"Who are you?" Ben was standing now, "or… rather what are you?" He could hear the sneer in his voice. "The Legion send you to collect me… to ask questions for which I have no answers? _Where are my manners,"_ Ben mumbled, "Let me offer you a drink. I know vampires drink."

"Why don't you let me get you a drink of water and some aspirin?" _Not Myra, the voice was wrong._ "People are worried about you." the voice was soft, concerned.

"What, people like you, I don't see it… I see a calculator behind those silver eyes." It was his courtroom voice, the one he used to discredit a witness. "In _human terms,_" Ben spat out the words, "I'm being asked to cover up a gang war, where people are caught in the crossfire."

Ben observed this woman from the back, fine boned, taller than he thought, black pants, white shirt… restaurant wait staff or bartender. When she returned to hand him a glass of water she had a familiar face.

"We're grateful Benjamin, some of us are bystanders too, ordinary people who work and pay bills."

"Just a working stiff, with some desperate human hooked on you for sex and blood."

"That's a bad combination, it makes people, humans, do stupid things. I don't do that anymore."

"What do you do?" Ben can't keep the rage going, he's tired, half drunk, defeated he drops back into his chair.

"Other than work? I regret the life I left behind, one that I lost over an obsession with sex and blood. I'm sorry this has happened to you."

The apology sounds personal, "Do I know you?" Talbot pulls himself together to focus, _Why is she familiar? Eyes, chin… he's looking at his mother… Kostan's ball… his last memory of her, covered in blood… reassuring and frightening…_

"I'm sorry, Benjamin, I'm sorry every day that I left you and your sister."

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_"How does Mick stand it, the view is nice and everything," Logan was talking to himself, "At least my basement is a comfy Hobbit hole." Mick's a killjoy anyway dude! Keeps everything off the net spying on the Legion... the Legion, these guys are the pros but... Morse code requests to pick up a pack of cigarettes... bor-ing!"_ Logan gulped... he just intercepted a message to call the Cleaners it enraged him a call to clean-up vamp dead.

If Mick would just move his freezer down to the office... I could stay in one room...Shit the phone... where was it... there under some papers.

"Hey Oscar," Logan answered as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Give me an update," Oscar commanded.

"Geez, Oscar no please, no how are you Logan?" Logan snarked.

"Give me the update or I will break your Guitar Hero," Oscar threatened.

"Ok…Ok, Mick and I figured out the legion device. It is used for communication via Morse Code." He explained.

"What else?" Oscar pushed.

"The word out of the mansion is that Josef has been working around the clock and pulling in a lot of favors to try and end the culling," Logan explained.

"Good," Oscar grunted.

"How's Beth doing, I guess this has been really hard on her," Logan asked concerned.

"She's making it through," was all Oscar would say about her, "any word from the Cleaners?"

He leaned back taking a sip from his glass, "Just that the Legion calls were slowing, a bit, although I got another one, not five minutes ago" Logan surprised himself by growling.

"Hmphf." Oscar grunted. "I'll be in touch," and with that the line went dead.

Logan just rolled his eyes and tossed the phone back onto a stack of papers.

Oscar crushed the cell phone under his heel. He was taking no chances. The news was getting better. It was time to get back to L.A… even if for just awhile.

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	3. Chapter 3

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Ben woke up face down on his bed. _How the hell did I get in here?_ Rolling over on his back he reached over and turned on his bedside lamp. Scrubbing his hands down his face he sat up. _6pm… damn, I slept all day… but at least I didn't dream. _

Feeling better than he had in days, he showered quickly and dressed. He stood phone in one hand and Katherine's number in the other. Dialing quickly before he lost his nerve, he flipped her card between his fingers as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Katherine… it's Ben."

"Well, hey, Ben."

"Are you free for a drink tonight?"

"I'd like that… Why don't you meet me at Moxie's in about 20 minutes, its right around the corner from my place and I'm headed in that direction."

Ben couldn't help but grin, "Sounds good, I'll see you in 20 minutes."

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Katherine was already nursing her scotch when Ben walked in. "Starting without me," he smiled playfully and motioned for the waitress. Taking his seat the waitress walked up smiling, "Corona, please," he requested. As the waitress walked away Katherine smiled, "I thought you were a martini man," she teased.

Ben chuckled and shook his head. "I think it's time for me to lay off of those a bit," he grinned sheepishly. She smiled warmly, "I take it there has been a lot going on at the DA's office lately." Ben nodded to the waitress as she handed him his drink.

"With what happened to ADA Lindsey and then me stepping into the job, things have been going non-stop." Katherine tilted her head to the side studying him, "Something must have changed though, you look a bit less stress then the last time we met," she observed. Ben stopped just as he brought his beer to his lips, "Well, I actually got some sleep for a change."

Katherine continued to study him over the top of her glass as she sipped her drink. She wanted to get to know him better. It had been a long time a man, vamp or human, had stirred her like this. Ben brought her out of her reverie. "So how long have you known Mick?" he asked innocently. She looked down and smiled as she played with the rim of her glass. "Oh about twelve years or so," she answered looking up to gauge his reaction. Ben's eyes widened in shock. "Really, so you've known him since just after high school?" Katherine lean forward folding her hands in front of her, "No, Ben, I'm not as young as I look."

Ben took another swig of his beer studying her. She didn't seem the type for plastic surgery. As realization dawn he looked away his jaw clenching. Katherine sighed, "Ben, look at me, please."

Ben sat back arms folded firmly across his chest. "So what now use your vamp allure to get me to go back to your place for a "bite"," he spat snapping his teeth. Katherine shook her head, "No! Of course not! Look, Ben, I like you and I am not going to hide who I am. Being a vampire is part of who I am but it is not all I am."

Ben softened a bit but was still not completely convinced. "So what you are like, Mick?" Katherine smiled, "If you mean I have a high moral code yes. If you are asking if I feed directly from humans not normally but I do drink freshly donated blood, not the bagged stuff Mick drinks."

Ben was now playing with the label on his Corona. "So what you don't use you vamp allure?" he looked up to see her reaction. Katherine tilted her head and smiled slightly, "Not on the guys I want to date." Ben chuckled and gave her a lop sided grin, "Well that's good to know," he said clearing his throat. Katherine reached forward and gently placed her hand on top of his. "Look Ben, Mick told me you've put in a difficult position with everything that's going on. It is not a position that you should have been put in."

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Walking into Josef's Beverly Hills home, for whatever reason, felt entirely wrong to Beth. It wasn't a matter of feeling welcome, she always felt like a guest when she was here, but now, after everything, she felt like a captive, a pawn, a stranger.

The only person she felt close to was Oscar. No, not like a boyfriend and not like how she felt with Mick, her Guardian Angel. She snorted at the very word, what had she been protected against lately.

Oscar sensed her sudden change. He touched her shoulder, tilting his head down and raising an eyebrow.

"I thought we agreed you're okay?" Beth gave a week smile and nodded her head, shoving her hands in her coat.

"I'm okay… I'll be okay…" Oscar gave a wink and turned his attentions to Simone who was coming down Josef's stairs to greet them.

"Beth…" Beth turned toward Simone's voice, a genuine smile lighting her face. Simone opened her arms as she approached Beth embracing her in a hug. "God… We've missed. I'VE missed you." Tears stung both Simone and Beth's eyes as the held tight to each other.

"Me too…" Came Beth's choked reply. Simone stepped back and realized just how thin Beth was, how so much different her appearance had become. She was only a ghost resemblance of the woman who had left all those months ago.

"Welcome home…"

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Oscar had been a wary of leaving Beth alone at Josef's but Simone was with her and he wanted to see Carmen. He pulled up to her building and killed the engine. Her car was there, he smirked as got out of the car.

Carmen had just stepped into the shower. She let the ice cold water soothe her. This had been one hell of a week and the continued separation from Oscar was not doing anything for her mood. She was lost in thoughts of Oscar as she began to lather shower gel over her body.

Standing just outside the shower Oscar stripped silently. He pulled the shower door open, the sound of which finally alerted Carmen to his presence. Before Carmen could speak Oscar had pressed against the shower wall. "Oscar," she gasped, "When… how?" She moaned as he placed wet kisses up the column of her neck.

"Talk…later," he breathed into her ear, "right now," he growled, "I… want... you!" Carmen gave a throaty laugh as he lifted her. Her legs automatically going around his waist. In moments he was home and no more words were needed.

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Even as they dried each other they had to keep skin contact. It had been too long apart. Carmen was running the towel up and down Oscar's chest, "Wait a minute…where did you leave Beth?"

Oscar was drying Carmen's hair, he stopped pulling the towel down over her shoulders. "She's at Josef's for now… why?"

Carmen pulled from his embrace, "Shit!"

Oscar looked at her confused, "What's the problem?"

Carmen was already head for her closet to get dressed. He followed behind grabbing his clothes. "We've got to get back over there, he's got a big meeting tonight with all the players in this damn fiasco," she explained as she pulled on a pair of jeans. Oscar growled, Josef should have told him when he got there tonight.

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A half hour later, Carmen pull her Crossfire into Josef's drive, Oscar was out of the car and striding toward the house before Carmen had put the car in park. Carmen shook her head as she got out of the car. Oscar was half way up the stairs when she caught up him. "Thanks for waiting for me," she snarked.

"Hmphf." was his only reply. Carmen just huffed and rolled her eyes. _Some things never change._ Oscar stopped at the door to the room Beth was staying. He place hand on the knob but thought better and knocked first.

Simone answered the door. "Oscar… Carmen, did something happen?" Oscar shook his head, "No, just checking on Beth."

Simone visibly relaxed, "She's in the shower."

As if on cue Beth walked out of the bathroom. "Oscar…what's wrong!" He just looked at Beth for a moment. She looked like Beth again dressed in jeans and a blue form fitting tee. It would take time for her hair to grow back to the length it had been but bob cut was very becoming and it was blonde again. Beth smirked, "What are you staring at, Oscar?"

Oscar cleared his throat. "Well you did have black hair the last time I saw you."

Beth chuckled, "Yeah well I to feel a little like the old me so Simone helped me lighten it."

Carmen elbowed Oscar. "What?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Hello Beth, I'm Carmen," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, finally, Carmen." Beth's gaze trained on Oscar again, he was on edge. "What's going on Oscar?"

Running a hand over his bald head he sighed. "Josef's holding a meeting. A summit of sorts with all the key players," he explained.

Beth heart rate spiked and her eyes became round with fear. "Do we need to leave....are we going to run again?"

Oscar stepped forward placing his hands on her shoulders. "For right now we stay."

Beth nodded, "Ok." Oscar squeezed her shoulders as he turned to leave. "Carmen and I will be around keeping an eye on everything, ok," he assured. Beth gave him a watery smile.

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Beth sat next to Simone on the couch that over looked the city of Los Angeles. Freshies swam in the pool before them and Beth couldn't help but frown.

"Is Mick here?" Her voice was still low and shaky.

"Yes… He's with Josef." Beth's eyes lit up, her heart almost jumped from her chest."Can I see him?" Simone sat down her coffee and shook her head no.

"They ah... They're in the meeting." Simone took Beth's hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

"Its about me, isn't it. I'm home but I'm not home." Beth rose from the couch wrapping her arms around her as she stood before the windows. "All I've thought about, all I've wanted was to come home, be with Mick." Tears again stung her eyes but she fought them back. "Now… Now I'm here and I feel… I feel so alone. I want … I want things to go back. Back before. I want to be happy that Mick loves me. That we finally found each other. Not what this means for this... This Damn tribe!" Her voice filled with anger as she turned to look at Simone.

Simone placed her hands on her knees and pushed up off the couch walking toward Beth, not really sure what to tell her.

"They're trying to work this out, Beth, please believe me." Beth nodded and turned back to the window. A cold shiver ran up her back as she watched the sun begin to set, her arms wrapping around herself, trying to calm the ache that she felt. When, when would she find peace.

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Mick shoved the lid to the guest freezer open and ran a hand through his hair to shake the frost loose. A few brief hours sleep was all he could manage any more; his mind wouldn't rest. _If only… _he sniffed. _No… it couldn't be… _His gaze swung to the door and he inhaled, long and deep. "Beth!" His eyes flared wide and he was out of the freezer, dressing in a blur. _Beth was home!_

Josef turned to the flurry of steps on the stairs and he moved quickly to intercept Mick, raising a hand to stay his forward rush. "Yes, she's here but we need to talk first."

"We can talk after I see Beth." Mick made to push past him but Josef moved with determined grace, waltzing him back.

Mick's eyes flashed a warning before he snarled. "Get out of my way, Josef!"

"NO! You will listen to me!" Josef growled and shoved him back, following to hold him against the wall. "We need to end this today. Duvall will be here shortly and we need to be on the same side of this thing!"

"Fuck Lance!" Mick hissed and they grappled, a flurry of punches and shoves, until their positions were reversed and Mick held Josef, nose to nose, anger making his fanged grimace long and sharp. "You brought Beth back here so you could give her to him, didn't you?" He slammed Josef against the wall. "DIDN'T YOU!!"

"No." The vampire quietly faded from Josef's face and he gripped Mick's wrists, slowly removing his hands from his throat. "We're not giving him Beth but we have to negotiate with him." Mick tried to jerk free but he held him fast, making him listen. "We have to negotiate, Mick. That's how it works, we don't have a choice."

Mick trembled with anger and confusion as he struggled to come to terms with Josef's request and he pulled free to pace away and back. "You negotiate." His face was set and cold, his voice even colder. "If he so much as makes one move towards Beth, Josef, there won't be enough of him left to need a body bag."

"We negotiate." Josef repeated, rolling his shoulders and twitching his tie back in place. "We hear him out, listen to his demands and _THEN_ act accordingly."

"Then you negotiate." Mick's face was hard and uncompromising as he turned away. "But Beth's not going anywhere without me again." He shoved past a startled assistant who had appeared in the doorway and Josef cursed, startling the man even more. "Mr. Kostan, sir? Your-your guest has arrived."

"Perfect!" Josef snapped. "Show Mr. Duvall to the meeting room. I'll be with him shortly."

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Lance stood in Josef's den, his hands clasped together behind his back as he studied the room and the scents around him. When he had first walked into the house, he knew that Beth had returned to Los Angeles. The very thought brought a satisfied smile to his thin lips. St. John was slowly eliminating the Legion threat and now the final piece had returned; and he was determined to leave this meeting with everything he wanted.

Lance turned as a door opened behind him and he gave another smug grin as Josef and Mick stepped in.

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Beth stared at the painting that hung near Josef's den. She was trying to figure out what exactly it meant. She squinted her eyes and mentally tried to imagine the position and then just shook her head. It didn't make any sense at all.

"Sometimes art… is just art." Beth turned to look at Oscar as he spoke and she grinned, shaking her head. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. Mick. Her heart began to pound. _Simone said he was already in the meeting._ There was no thought, she just went straight to him, paying no attention to the others gathered in Josef's den. Her heart skipped, throbbing painfully as she looked at him and he returned her gaze, cold and indifferent. Something was wrong.

"Mick…?" Her uncertainty was audible to all the vampires in the room, including Lance. Oscar stepped in besides her, closing the door behind him, his arms were crossed and his jaw was set. This was a fight he wouldn't miss for the world.

Mick only turned slightly to Beth, he could smell her fear and heart ache. But he had a bigger task, keeping her here with him, where she belonged and finding away of making Lance leave her alone for good.

Lance only acknowledged Beth slightly, but the added tension and the incentive of her fear brought a cold smile to his haughty face. Putting St. John in his place would be an added pleasure. He watched as Mick quickly crossed the room, smiling insolently as they stood face to face.

"We meet again, St. John. Are you going to give me what I want?" Lance shot a leering glance toward Beth and a shiver ran up her back. _This can't be happening._ Oscar's reassuring hand came to rest on her shoulder and she stepped back. Oscar wouldn't let him take her. The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Mick and he stepped in front of Lance, blocking his view of Beth completely.

"Give you what you want? What you want is a human being and the woman I love. I'm not giving her to you. The only person she is going with is me, home."

Josef pushed off his desk and moved toward Lance and Mick. "Beth isn't going anywhere Lance. She stays here. However, to keep the blood pure… Mick will promise not to turn her. If her blood becomes necessary, we'll have it." They both turned to look at him and Mick glared. "Josef!"

"Agreed." Lance gave a sneering grin back to Mick and then again looked at Josef.

"She doesn't leave this city, unless I know about it. I'll be seeing you both, St. John." Lance pushed past Mick, glaring at Oscar as he passed. Without a backwards glance, he was gone.

"Well, that went… well." Josef's gave a little smile as he looked from Mick to Beth. "I think you're safe for the time being, Beth. He thinks he's won this round."

"And you used Beth for a bargaining chip!" Mick snapped and he paced in agitation. "Duvall offers a little help to stop the culling and you promise to keep Beth for him? I'm telling you right now, Lance Duvall will NEVER have Beth."

"We negotiated more time, Mick." Josef retorted. "Time for us to figure out the next step in this battle. Duvall is powerful. If he thinks Beth is secure, he'll leave her alone and we can concentrate on stopping the Legion."

"What do you mean we?" Mick moved to Beth's side, putting his arm around her. "You haven't exactly been clear on what you're doing to stop anything. If Lance knows Beth is back, it won't be long until the Legion does, too."

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"You look extra ordinary beautiful in that dress, Coraline, my dear." Gianni held her hand lightly as he lifted it to his lips.

"It's not couture, but it will do. You've changed since I've seen you last." They stood by the windows of the executive lounge at LAX sipping cocktails as cool jazz plays over the sound system. Runway lights glowed blue through the darkly tinted glass with the occasional red or green splashed among them.

"For the better," Gianni chuckled, "I consider, operating on stunted human senses to be a near death experience." He touched his finger to his head "Knowledge trumps ideology."

"And loyalty is not without its price. I've brought you a parting gift." She hands him a small gift bag which he quickly empties.

"An engraved cigarette case, how counter-revolutionary, now that no one smokes." Gianni touches the case to his lips, inhaling gently. The compound is within. "For you, I know how much you adore Hermes."

The weighted shoulder satchel is lifted gently from its nest of tissue paper. Coraline calculates the weight; it's good to have liquid assets again. They stand and exchange an air kiss. "Our business is, as usual, profitable _mon ami," _she knows Gianni has added a margin for himself. "Cynthia confirms the workability your delivery system. _Bon chance."___

_"Bonne chance, Cheri"_

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End file.
